By Bill Gould
After over ten years of passionate grass roots efforts, extensive community organizing and collaboration with both elected and City of Atlanta officials, three acres of East Atlanta’s Ormewood Forest have been successfully protected!
Efforts to resurrect this new wildlife conservation area, including its important Intrenchment Creek headwater stream, began in earnest recently with a volunteer clean-up organized by Science For Georgia, in partnership with New Life Community Alliance and the EACA (East Atlanta Community Association) Parks and Greenspace Committee. The event was co-sponsored by GA House Representative Becky Evans who, along with over 25 volunteers, East Atlanta neighbors, and ongoing support from Atlanta City Councilperson Liliana Bakhtiari, worked to remove invasive species and decades of accumulated trash. Interesting items pulled from the forest and creek areas included 1950’s era truck tires and a “vintage” 1980s audio cassette player- strange and ancient artifacts in the eyes of some of the younger volunteers.
Future volunteer opportunities and fundraising events will be planned to continue the forest and stream restoration, and to design a system of low-impact trails thru the meandering forest preserve. For more information contact parks@eaca.net and visit www.ormewoodforest.com.
